Deception
by Fate Nightmare
Summary: After hiding in the shadows Alphard returns with a vengeance, but when she finally meets her arch enemy on the battlefields again she discovers that something is severely wrong with Canaan. The two have been lied to, and must work together in order to find out the truth. Canaan has to deal with her new powers, but can Alphard deal with her new feelings? Rating may change
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Okay so this is my first CANAAN fic. I absolutely love this anime and all the things I can get out of it, so I'm really looking forward to this. And since I'm stuck on my other works in progress, I thought it would be a good idea to try something else. **

**So to start off I should give readers a few warnings. First, this is a yuri, (though I don't really see what else you could be expecting from this anime, honestly). Sexual situations and some violent scenarios may change the rating of this story in the future. There will also most likely be a bit of language, so if any of this is offensive to you, I advise picking a different story. For the rest of you I hope you enjoy this fan fiction and I'd appreciate some reviews maybe?**

**Thanks and enjoy!**

I really missed this.

Guns went off all around me. The building was flooded with soldiers as my men used their brand new toys. An explosion went off in the west wing and I could hear sirens in the distance. In just a few more minutes we would be completely surrounded, but that didn't matter. Our escape didn't involve the cars parked outside. A chopper would arrive any second now.

It wouldn't be long now.

It had been at least two years since I had done anything this fun. After dropping into a massive canyon I thought it was better that everyone just assumed that I was dead. But, as I had thought, I couldn't just sit in the shadows. I had to be part of the action. I had to smell the scent of gunpowder and feel the force behind firing a gun again. So today was my gran resurrection. It seemed fitting, in my opinion, to start off by stealing military weapons from that organization that was always getting in my way. I even smiled at the camera a few times. It was stupid, but I didn't care. Honestly I was just hoping that they would send someone to try and stop me.

Hopefully they would send her.

"Alphard Al Sheya!" a voice called. I turned, but the person that appeared before me was not the one I was hoping to see.

"Natsume, right? Long time no see," I grinned.

"How's that arm treating you?" the woman inquired, adjusting her glasses.

I waved, moving all my fingers. "Good as new. It's amazing what doctors can do these days, am I right?" The woman did not seem amused. "I think the person there at the time would appreciate my humor better." I added.

"She's no longer under our employment."

That made me frown. "Why not? Things were so much more fun with her around. And she was just starting to make things challenging, too."

At this Natsume looked genuinely surprised. "You don't know, do you?"

I would have asked what she meant, but suddenly my attention was drawn to something else, entirely. People were shouting, but it wasn't the sort of scream you'd hear from a man getting shot. It was a long, agonized scream. I looked up, searching for the source, but whatever was attacking couldn't be seen through the smoke. It wasn't just attacking my men, either. It struck anything it came into contact with, terrorist or not.

"Alphard, I'm not here to stop you!" Natsume shouted, quickly. "I'm here to stop her!"

I saw the flash of red before anything else. In the split second that I had to step back she stood right in front of me. I ducked down as her leg swung around, but she was already prepared for my counter. Pushing up she swung around me, using my shoulder as a base to force her further into the air. Her landing was almost completely silent, and her feet barely touched the ground before she was rushing in for another attack.

This wasn't right.

"Did you miss me?" I taunted, but in truth I was struggling to keep up. Her speed had always been something to look out for, but this wasn't the same. Something about the way she moved wasn't quite… human. And her eyes… Her eyes were what had changed the most. Even burning with that red fire her eyes were unnaturally cold. It wasn't like that day on the train, though. I did not fear this gaze, for it didn't see me. It didn't seem to see anything.

"That day something happened!" Natsume shouted from where she stood. "She's not human, Alphard!"

"Don't give me that crap!" I snapped, landing a kick finally. My attacker flew back, but simply got to her feet again. I drew my gun, but she didn't even vary her path. "Don't screw with me," I growled. "I'm not interested in fighting anyone but Canaan!"

The white-haired assassin stopped dead in her tracks, her head just an inch or so away from the barrel of my gun. Her eyes widened, and for the first time since she had arrived she seemed to actually see. She stared at me and I could see her brain trying to make sense of it all.

"Alphard…"

"Alphard-sama!" a voice shouted. Canaan grabbed my shoulder, pushing me back just as a lone gunshot rang through the air. I felt the blood splash onto my clothes, but it was not mine. Canaan turned, pulling one of many knives from her belt and flinging it up at the sniper. She missed and he fired again. The bullet tore through her stomach this time, and she fell back.

It was instinct that made me catch the assassin. I hooked a strong grip around her waist with one arm while taking out the sniper with a single shot. The police were finally coming in and I had a feeling more men like that one were still hanging around. Canaan was unconscious, blood gushing from her stomach and back.

"Alphard-sama!" one of my men called. I threw him my gun, scooping Canaan into my arms. He stared at me, but I ignored him. I didn't know what the hell was going on anymore, but something wasn't right and this brat was the only one I had any hopes of getting answers out of.

We made it out without much trouble once reaching the chopper. All of my men were thinking the same thing, but they wouldn't dare question why I had brought along an extra body. They simply made sure she wouldn't bleed to death before we got back to base and shut the hell up, leaving her to lay on the seat with her head in my lap.

We reached base in a little under an hour. Aside from a few unexpected injuries caused by a certain out-of-control bounty hunter, the mission was a success. Most of my men went to move the spoils of battle to a more secure location, but Bo, my new right-hand man, was reluctant to leave my side. I didn't mind as much, since it was him. He wasn't as obsessive as Liang Qi had been.

"Alphard-sama, is this really wise?" the massive man inquired, hesitantly. "I do not mean to question you, but is it really alright to bring this woman into our base? She is working for the enemy, after all."

"A couple of years ago I would have agreed with you." I replied. "But this girl won't kill me."

"But how can you be sure?" he asked.

I sighed, letting him fall a few paces behind me. "Because she's the only person who has ever wanted me to live," I answered. Bo couldn't argue with that, having been one of only a handful of people left from the original Snakes. He just rolled his eyes and turned around, barking orders to someone lingering a bit too close behind us.

Knowing Bo wouldn't let anyone intrude on my personal affairs, I carried the still unconscious Canaan into my private rooms, setting her down on the large sofa there. I took a seat in a chair at her feet, cleaning my gun. In the silence my thoughts began to wonder and I could feel my own frown sinking in as I went through the events of this evening.

None of it made sense. Natsume had been trying to warn me about something. She said that she was there to stop Canaan. She sad that something had changed, that she wasn't human anymore. And, seeing how she fought, I almost believed it. No one was supposed to be able to move like that. Not even Canaan should have been able to fight without feeling. And then she just changed. It was like, just before she said my name, I hadn't been fighting her at all. And then she took a bullet for me and suddenly she was just as much an enemy as I was. Changing sides like that wasn't really her style, though, was it? Something must have changed, and the more I thought about it the more I believed that Canaan had never really wanted to fight me in the first place. I mean, even if she was confused, she wouldn't have just stood there. I could have blown her brains out.

"What's gotten into you?" I asked, letting my eyes fall on Canaan's still sleeping form. I didn't really know what I was expecting from her. Even for the great and powerful synesthesiast taking two bullets like that would take its toll.

"Dumbass," I huffed.

**AN: So this is the first chapter. You like it? Reviews would be lovely (cough, cough, hint, hint). This chapter was kinda short but the next one will definitely be longer. See ya soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Okay so I'm really enjoying this story so here's an update! I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. I'd really like to know what you think so please R+R. Thanks again for reading and here's chapter two.**

It hurt.

I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to fight these people. My heart throbbed in my chest. My lungs screamed for air, but they wouldn't let me stop. They just kept pushing me to go faster, shutting me out of my own head.

But something was different about tonight. It wasn't like the other times. There was someone here that was different from the others. Someone was keeping up with me, matching my speed. I got hit. Why did this person seem so familiar? Why did I feel so reluctant to kill this person?

"I'm not interested in fighting anyone but Canaan!"

Hearing my name being spoken by that voice… Suddenly I could see. I could feel everything as it should have been. Enemies became people and targets became innocent victims. And I stood there, staring down the barrel of a gun, seeing for the first time the only person who could possibly keep up with me.

"Alphard…"

* * *

"Alphard-sama, what's so special about that woman?" I looked up at the tall, wiry young man. Honestly I despised his face, but he really couldn't help that. It was not his fault that he had been born with the same face as that woman.

"Lin, do you hate me?" I asked. He looked at me in confusion, so I clicked on one of the many files I had been reviewing. It was the security feed from that day. Liang Qi's face appeared, still in that maddened state as she beat her servant nearly to death. "I'm the reason your dear half-sister is dead, no? Still, when I began recruiting you were the first to volunteer. Why is that?"

"I thought I hated you." he admitted. "I tried many times to kill you, but I could never pull the trigger."

"And why not?" I asked him.

He looked up at the feed, watching as his sister ranted on about wanting to be seen by me. "Because in my heart I knew that her desires would have never been realized, even if you had indulged her little fantasy." he replied with a deep sigh.

"You're trapped in an age without me, with Canaan and that guy!"

"She wanted so badly to be seen by you, whether it be as an enemy or as a lover." he continued, watching his sister's last few moments. "She never saw you, though. Even in the very end she couldn't understand you."

"Do you see me, Lin?" I asked, watching him.

He smiled, and shook his head. "I see now." he chuckled. "So only one person has ever been able to see you, eh?"

"And that is why she is special, I suppose." I replied.

He bowed. "Then I should inform you that she's awake. Bo-san has her detained."

"Alright," I said.

Canaan seemed to be back to her old self again when I walked into the room. She was busy pacing the room, her brows furrowed in that childish manner. When she finally noticed me she scowled, tensing for whatever danger may come her way. I didn't move, though, listening until I was sure Bo and Lin were away from the door. No one else would dare to come near this place, either.

"It's been while, Canaan." I smirked.

"Not long enough," she replied, blankly. Her words were cold, but just at the mention of her own name her body relaxed. Slowly she sat down at the window, though I was sure she was thinking about the benefits of just jumping out of it as well.

"Such cold words for the person who saved your life." I remarked, stepping closer. She shrank back, pressing herself against the glass. "Then again, I wouldn't have had to save you if you had just let that guy shoot me. Instead you took a bullet for me. Why is that?"

Canaan watched me for a long while. Her eyes met mine and for the first time in a very long time I felt that someone was actually _looking_ at me. And again I found that this was the feeling I had been craving for so long. This was the reason I had hoped she would be the one to try and stop me.

"I told you, right?" she said in a resigned tone. "I want you to live."

I had been wrong before in assuming Canaan was back to normal. Something about her had indeed changed, but this was something that would not return to its original state. No longer did she look at me as someone she hated. She had always been able to see me, but now she seemed to see even beyond emotions and intentions. She saw me down to my very soul and I felt exposed.

"Still as simple-minded as always, aren't you?" I mused, leaning back against the bed frame. "You'd betray your own friends just to keep your word."

Suddenly Canaan stood right in front of me. I waited for some sort of attack, but none came. She just stood there, looking at me with that care-free expression. "It's not simple-minded." she said. "Since that day on the train, no one has ever called me by my name. I was just a weapon. That's all they ever wanted me to be. But you wanted me to be Canaan again."

Without a word I grabbed a handful of white hair, pulling Canaan towards me. At first she moved to fight back, but then she stopped and my other arm came around her shoulders. "You really are a dumbass." I chuckled. "But I suppose that makes me one too."

Our little moment was peaceful, but unfortunately cut short by the sound of gunshots in the distance. Canaan pulled away, grabbing one of the knives from my belt, and throwing it behind her. Just then the door opened, and a soldier fell. Her eyes shone that vibrant red as she offered me a hand with a daring grin. "Well since I'm as good as dead, anyways, I might as well help you for now."

I returned the expression, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. Three more soldiers came in, all of them falling victim to my gun. "I believe I'm the one helping you, Canaan."

I really missed fighting Canaan, but to my surprise it seemed even more entertaining to fight with her, rather than against her. We moved in sync, pushing forward with ease through the waves of soldiers sent to kill us. They thought they had me outnumbered, but they underestimated my men, and with the white-haired assassin at my side we were virtually unbeatable. She moved with that inhuman agility, getting close enough to kill ten men before the other dozen even noticed she was there.

We made it to the chopper, which had already taken off, when Bo threw me the ladder. I grabbed it, looking down in contempt at the leader of this little raid, who still feebly tried to take me out. "You're dead! You hear me?!" he shouted, and I knew he wasn't talking to me. Canaan was still on the ground, hesitating.

I let go of the latter, dropping down to the last ring before catching it again. Canaan saw and ran towards me, jumping into the air. I caught her arm and suddenly we were the reverse of that day on the train. But this time I had no intention of letting go.

"They'll have to get through me first." I shouted down at her. "And since I'm not allowed to die, I guess that means you're stuck with me."

Canaan smiled. "I guess so."

**AN: So it turns out that I didn't get to make this as long as i wanted it to be. i'm really enjoying writing this, though, so chapter three should be up soon. Thanks again for your patronage and I hope you keep reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: So we've had action in the last two chapters, but I haven't really discussed Alphard's feelings very much. So this chapter is going to be more sweet than violent I guess? Well as sweet as Alphard can get anyway. This chapter will actually be mostly told in Lin's POV and a certain character will be making her grand entrance, so please enjoy.**

It was amazing how one woman could have such a profound effect on Alphard-sama. No one else trusted it, but in my opinion it was good for our boss. Bo-san especially didn't like how much influence the synesthesiast had over our dark-haired leader, but that's because he simply didn't understand. He didn't see Alphard-sama like that woman did.

"You really suck at this."

"Maybe you're just a shitty teacher."

"Shut up!"

When my father, who ran one of the cover corporations Alphard-sama had set up, discovered that Canaan had infiltrated our ranks, he had demanded that I kill her, immediately. He spat words of redemption and vengeance, and blamed the mercenary for his only daughter's death, but I wouldn't kill her. He called me a coward, and said that Alphard-sama would understand, but I didn't refuse because I was afraid of her. Certainly, if I killed Canaan, I would be destroyed by that woman, but that didn't matter. I would not kill her simply because I understood. I knew just how desperately Alphard-sama clung to her, even if she would never admit it, herself.

"Cat's cradle isn't that hard."

"That's not cat's cradle."

"Then what is it?"

"A knot."

The change was not obvious to all, but I could see it. Since she returned from her trap on the train, empty-handed yet again, her gaze had been emptier than usual. That day she had finally managed to rid herself of the ties to her past, but in truth that had not been what she wanted. Back then she had been nothing but an empty shell, but in those last few moments before she cast herself into the canyon, she had seen something she had not been expecting. She had felt something that had eluded her for far too long.

She had pulled away from that feeling, that day on the train, but now she had a second chance. Now, when she thought no one was watching, she looked at the person she had claimed as her enemy with eyes that were cautiously wondering if she could perhaps be whole again. Of course, Canaan did not see it. No, Alphard-sama was too good at hiding now. She had gone on too long as a living corpse. But if anyone could bring life back into her bones, it would certainly be that mercenary.

Alphard-sama hated being surrounded by her subordinates. Usually she spent her days at one of the many locations her business fronts provided, whether they were hotels or mansions. Of course she was always aware of what was going on, but having people dote on her was not really her cup of tea. Of course since the last few days had proven rather unpredicted, I had to reschedule her route. Many of her subordinates didn't like the idea of Canaan being so close to the boss, especially since she had tried to kill her, and they refused to let their boss just dismiss the entire incident. So tactfully I booked the five-star hotel in London rather than the secluded manor Alphard-sama preferred. She wasn't pleased about it, but it made Bo-san and the others feel more comfortable knowing they could be in one of the surrounding building and come to her aid much faster if she needed it. And since she wasn't willing to let Canaan out of her sight, entirely – she would never admit that to anyone, though – she didn't really argue.

"You seem pretty relaxed, seeing that you're stuck with me." Alphard-sama remarked, idly.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Canaan inquired, looking up from some strange book. She was perched in the window, her seemingly favorite spot in any room. Alphard-sama was leaning against the back of the couch, staring at the white-haired assassin with that usual caution. I had been about to enter the room, but now I decided to linger in the hall, letting their conversation lead where it may.

"What makes you think I won't betray you like I did before?" she countered.

"You're not the same person anymore." the mercenary replied. This got exactly the reaction I expected, for the older woman went rigid. "That's what you meant to do that day, right? You're not Siam's perfect soldier anymore. You're just Alphard."

"Well the me now is still a terrorist and has still tried to kill you plenty of times before." Alphard-sama argued. She didn't want to admit that she had wanted to hear those words more than anything else.

"I'm not talking about the day you killed him." Canaan corrected her. With a sigh, she rose to her feet and began moving towards the door. "I wonder… What kind of person are you going to become this time?"

Suddenly Alphard-sama caught Canaan's arm. The synesthesiast stared at her for a long while before her eyes began to glow red and she finally saw what I had known all along. And in the silence they just stared at one another, the older woman always waiting for the smaller one to answer her feelings, whether she knew it or not.

But the confrontation had to end there. Just before either woman could decide to act the phone rang. They parted and Alphard-sama answered. I went out into the hall, intercepting the three men who were approaching the room. Between two of them was an intruder they had found, one that demanded to see Canaan.

Of course she had to show up at a time like this.

* * *

I waited in the main room of the rather grand hotel suite, seated between two distressingly large men with equally large guns. I couldn't be intimidated, though. I needed to be brave, otherwise this whole thing would be for nothing. I couldn't let these people push me around.

"Osawa Maria," That voice sent shivers down my spine, but I met that evil woman's gaze as best I could.

"Alphard," I said just as dryly.

She gave me that irritating smirk, falling back onto the large couch placed opposite of me. "I don't know if I should be impressed with your investigative skills or be disappointed in my men for picking such an easily located hideout." she chuckled.

"Natsume told me what happened. She said you took Canaan." I stated, not allowing myself to be drawn into her taunts. "The rest is for me to know and you to never find out. Now where's Canaan?"

"Why does it matter to you?" the woman asked, her eyes getting a bit darker as her smile faded.

"Th-there's no way she would just willingly come along with you. You've got her held prisoner somewhere right?"

Alphard stood, dismissing her subordinates with the order that anyone who walked out the door should be left untouched. Then she turned to a door on the other end of the room, pulling it open. "No one is holding her prisoner. She's right here."

"Maria?" Canaan blinked at me, walking into the room. Forgetting all about Alphard, I rushed up and hugged my friend, tightly. She smiled and laughed a little, pulling back to give me a quizzical look. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"I'm here to save you, of course." I replied, looking her up and down. From the way she had tensed slightly I could tell she was hurt, and her form-fitting shirt betrayed the bandages wrapping around her torso. "Oh my god, are you alright? What did they do to you?"

"I'm fine." she replied. "It was my fault, really."

"See? Safe and sound," Alphard chimed, reasserting her presence.

There was something about the older woman's look that unsettled me, and quickly I stepped between her and Canaan. "What do you want with Canaan?"

She shrugged, but her eyes said something else entirely. I couldn't really place it, but they seemed darker than the last time we had met. There was no anger or calm cruelty to them. They were just… empty. It was like she didn't care anymore. Of course, her smirk made everything seem normal. "Relax, Osawa. It doesn't benefit me to kill your precious Canaan." she replied. "This time it seems we're on the same team."

"Canaan would never work with you." I insisted.

That look in her eyes changed again, and suddenly her face fell blank. Alphard stood again, but it wasn't her usual, relaxed stature. She leaned back on her heels, pulling her fingers through her dark hair. "Fine." she sighed. "As I said before, no one is forcing her to stay. Feel free to take her back with you."

I didn't trust it, but surely Canaan would be able to get us out of here. When I tugged on her arm she didn't move, though. "Come on. We need to get out of here." I said, but still she didn't budge. That's when I finally saw the pain in her gaze as tears hinted at the corner of her eyes.

"Let's go." she said, pulling me out the door. It didn't take much more than that to get me to oblige, but I couldn't help but look back as the door shut behind us. And in that split moment I saw Alphard fall back onto the couch with a look of utter despair on her face.

As promised, no one followed us or tried to stop us. Once we made it out onto the street we were pretty safe. But that's when Canaan stopped and stepped away from me. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"You'll be safe. Natsume has eyes on you now, so they won't try anything." she told me.

"You're not coming with me?" I asked, shocked. Canaan shook her head, turning to go back. "Wait!" I cried. "Natsume can help. That woman has something over you, right? We can find a way to fix it, I promise."

"She doesn't have anything on me." the mercenary replied.

"Then why won't you come with me? We can go to Japan. I can show you my hometown and my photo galleries." I said, trying to smile.

"I can't leave Alphard alone like that." she replied. "Doing something like that would be too cruel. She doesn't deserve that sort of pain."

"Canaan she's your enemy! There's no telling how many times she's tried to kill you. She nearly blew me to kingdom come. She deserves every bit of pain she gets."

"You don't understand."

"Then help me understand." I didn't want to argue. I didn't want to push my best friend away like this, but she was making no sense to me.

Canaan looked behind her up at the hotel and the lit rooms at the top floor. "She's always pushing people away, but really she's a very lonely person. She's always afraid, not wanting to get close to people. And that's because everyone she's ever gotten close to has disappeared from this world." she explained, looking back at me again. In her eyes I already knew what she was going to say before she said it. "I don't like seeing her like that. I want her to be that annoying, smug, irritating person again."

I laughed. Canaan panicked, looking around to see if something had happened. Sighing, I gave her a shove in the direction of the hotel. "Go before I change my mind." I said, waving. She smiled. "I'll see you again! That's a promise!" I called after her.

I definitely needed to see how this was going to turn out.

**AN: I'm so inspired! The next chapter will be up soon. Thank you for reading and don't forget to send reviews. The next chapter will dive deeper into this budding relationship and there'll certainly be more action in the near future. Until the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: So here's the latest update. I'm going to try and write as many chapters as quickly as possible before this inspiration disappears, so wish me luck. Also I should warn you that this chapter may hint at some sexual content (probably not though because I really suck at writing this type of stuff) so just saying. So yeah R+R please, thanks!**

I really didn't know what I had been expecting. Given a choice, there was no way Canaan would stay by my side. I had known that from the very beginning, yet I couldn't bear to just lock her away. This whole thing was making me soft, but I couldn't imagine a Canaan that wasn't free to do as she pleased.

What had I really been expecting? No matter how much she claimed that I had changed, I was still too different for her. We could never exist as anything but enemies. Canaan was something that was simply unobtainable. She was life where I was death and despair, and that's how it would always be. Even so, it didn't make the pain any less. It didn't make the sight of her leaving with that Osawa girl any less agonizing. To think that just minutes before we had been so close. She had almost seen through me again, and I had almost not stopped her. I wondered what she would have said. What sort of color would she have seen in me? How would she have responded to it?

The door creaked open, but I didn't bother looking up. Sprawled out on the couch I dared Lin or whoever it was to try an speak to me. Like this I definitely couldn't keep my anger in check. If I weren't preoccupied with the pain boiling over in my chest, I might have felt sorry for whoever the unfortunate person was. It was only when I didn't hear someone speak, didn't hear the sounds of footsteps, that I even considered the intruder could be anyone but one of my subordinates.

I sat up, my eyes adjusting to the dim light rather quickly – the lights were off now and the only light flooded through the window from the city. At the other end of the room was the last person I would have ever expected, her silver eyes brimming with tears.

Canaan didn't meet my gaze. Instead she kept her eyes locked on the ground, her brows knitting together. "Idiot," she muttered.

My expression was definitely no good – certainly my emotions were written all over my face – but I didn't really care as I slowly rose to my feet and began crossing the room. "Oh? And why's that?" I asked.

"How could you think that I would just leave?" she demanded, angrily. "How could you just expect me to do something that cruel?"

"Why would it be cruel?" I asked, pressing one hand against the wall next to her head. "Osawa is your friend, right? It would make sense for you to go with her."

"But she's not…" Canaan stopped, her voice struggling just to maintain its angry tone. "You're…"

"I'm what?" At this the mercenary scowled, trying to push me away. I wouldn't relent, though; not yet.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"You already know why."

"You're lying."

"Why would I lie?" Again she tried to break free, but I caught her wrist instead, the hand I had pressed against the wall now wrapping around the back of Canaan's neck.

"Let me go."

"Make me." I responded, grinning. And before she could say anything else, I closed the gap between us.

* * *

At first I didn't know how to react. My body tensed and I tried to pull away from this strange contact, but then I found that the touch was not so unpleasant. Alphard wouldn't release her grip, but while she was always one to do as she pleased, the sweet taste of her lips was enough to completely clear my mind of any concerns I may have had before. My free hand, which had instinctively moved up in order to try and push the dark-haired woman away, now trembled as my fingers brushed up against the bare skin of the other woman's waist.

My senses were quickly overwhelmed as Alphard pressed up against me. I could feel every part of her and my head was struggling to process it all. Anger, solitude, and betrayal moved like electricity between us, but it was something else entirely that drove me over the edge. It was the feeling of desperation, the bitter taste of loneliness that hit me as physical pain as I finally managed to break away from the kiss with a gasp.

Alphard didn't release me, but she didn't pursue her previous agenda, either. Instead she stood there, watching me with those gray eyes. She didn't smirk or taunt me with some sarcastic remark. She just waited, and suddenly I realized that, if I pushed her away now, she wouldn't stop me.

I couldn't stop the tears that streamed down my face. Slowly I pulled my captured hand free, but I didn't push her away. I couldn't, knowing how she truly felt. All I could do was lock my fingers in her dark hair. "You…" I couldn't get the words out. My head was still scrambled, desperately trying to process what had just happened. And as I struggled to find the words to say her feelings just became more painfully clear in my mind.

"You really are dense." Alphard chuckled, her hands resting at my hips. A slight shiver ran up my back as she leaned in, and again my nerves were jolted alive to the point where it was painful. A hand skimmed down my thigh, pulling my leg up at the knee. The other followed shortly after, and I really had no option but to cling to the woman's waist as she pulled away from the wall and began easily carrying me. I was already so overrun by this strange new feeling that I could hardly make any sense out of it until suddenly I fell back, bouncing onto the bed in the next room.

Alphard's presence was not absent long, for almost immediately she was on top of me, pinning my hands back over my head. The initial shock was gone, but the emotions were still there, still raw and overpowering. It hurt, but I found that I didn't necessarily want it to end. This strange feeling had quickly grown in my chest and deeply rooted itself there, and the only coherent thought that ran through my mind was the desire to stay like this just a while longer.

I could feel Alphard's smirk pressed against my pulse point as her free hand skimmed down my thigh again. "Bear with me. I'm afraid I won't be able to stop at just this." There was a hunger in her voice that ran like ice down my spine. It was a feral, starved sort of sound, but it sounded somewhat hesitant as well, like there was an apology somewhere in those words as well. Hearing that, I couldn't muster the distant feeling needed to be wary of her.

What was this woman doing to me?

* * *

"That's total bullshit and you know it." I growled.

"Why would I lie?" Lin asked, keeping his voice calm in order to try and keep the volume controlled – the boss wasn't a morning person to begin with, but she especially hated being disturbed.

"That bitch ran off with that blonde woman last night."

"She came back not long after. Can you blame her for being sneaky about it?"

"The boss isn't interested in that sort of thing, especially not with the enemy."

"What person isn't interested in that sort of thing?"

It wasn't possible, though. Sure the boss had seemed pretty upset when the white-haired shorty ran off, but she was probably just pissed that she lost a good weapon. But when I came up to check things out this morning Lin was already there, refusing to let me get any further than the kitchen. The suite covered the whole top floor, and there was no way I was going to wake her, but then he told me those ridiculous things.

"There's no way that could happen." I huffed.

"There's no way what could happen?" a deep, melodic voice chimed. I gave a bit of a bow, looking up at where Alphard leaned against the wall. She studied my face and I struggled to keep the thoughts images that had appeared in my head as far off my mind as possible – the woman was a bit of a psychic sometimes.

"Um Lin was just spouting some crazy nonsense. Nothing to worry about." I replied. Oddly enough she didn't question me. Instead she took a steaming mug from Lin and took a seat at the kitchen table. The Chinese man gave me a smug look, and I cleared my throat. "So boss, what do you want us to do about Canaan?" I asked.

"What about her?" Alphard didn't even bat an eye, taking a sip of coffee.

"Well if it is your wish, I will personally take care of her." I said.

"She won't be a problem." she answered, simply.

I wouldn't have pressed it, but Lin's face still had that amused grin. "But boss, she could turn against you. She tried to kill you once, and that's only in the last few days. How many times has she ruined our plans before? How can you be sure she won't do it again?"

Alphard didn't answer, though. Instead the sound of a door opening in the back drew my attention. The sound of feet padding against the floor sent a wave of shock through me with each step until finally the third party appeared in the entryway, leaning against the wall just as Alphard had and giving a loud yawn.

There was no doubt that the short woman that now walked into the kitchen was indeed Canaan, but my brain couldn't process it. I just stared with my jaw gaping, the fact that she was hardly wearing any clothes just adding to my astonishment. Clad in nothing but black underwear and a very familiar black tank top she casually walked over to Lin, taking the mug he offered her. And then I remembered what the Chinese man had said and the idea didn't sound as outrageous anymore.

The boss stood. An amused grin hinted at her lips as she walked up to where the white-haired mercenary hopped onto the kitchen counter, standing right in front of the smaller woman. "You look good in my shirt." she observed.

"I couldn't find mine." the other replied, frowning as Alphard took her coffee.

"You owe me fifty bucks," Lin mouthed as the two women exchanged a more affectionate good morning.

**AN: Did you like? This last part was supposed to be more light-hearted, but you'll definitely be seeing more action in the future. The romance won't stop here, either. Thanks for reading and please send me some reviews to tell me whatcha think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: You guys are so awesome. I didn't expect this to get any sort of traffic, so I'm really surprised. Please keep R+R and I'll do my best to make this as cool as it is in my head. Hopefully I'll start explaining some things a bit better, but I kinda suck at this part, so please bear with me. Thanks again! Oh and by the way this first section is told in Natsume's POV so ta-da!**

I was sick and tired of this crap. One referral led to another, which led back to the first. These people were leading me around in circles and no matter where I turned I couldn't find the answers I needed. The only way to get any information was to look for it, myself. It was risky, but I needed to know.

None of it made any sense. The day they took Canaan from my charge she was rambling on and on about having "seen this before" and no one would give me a legitimate reason for them to take her away. Instead those thugs in the black suits just carried her off, and all of a sudden nearly all the money our organization used went into reviving some old project.

It had been by pure chance that one of my hackers had found information on Canaan. He had been doing a simple scan of the security footage when a Trojan horse led him to that facility's live feed. We hadn't been able to see much, but it was proof that something was going on. Something big was happening and the mercenary was right in the middle of it. But what had worried me the most was that look in her eyes. Even through the video feed I could see the change a year had caused her, and it wasn't one I liked. Another year went by, though, and I couldn't manage to get anything on the girl. All anyone would tell me is that Canaan was being returned to her original research team. She didn't have one, though. I was supposed to be her first handler, in the field or otherwise. It was only when I saw her during that Snake raid that my suspicions were reconfirmed.

They shouldn't have just let her go. Their retrieval units were a joke, and they had given up after only the first time. But now they were on the move again. I heard rumors about a special ops team being utilized, and a sinking feeling told me they weren't going to just capture our rogue operative. I needed to find answers. I needed to know just what exactly was going on before I abandoned that twerp.

Found it.

The files opened and immediately my heart seized in my chest. Hundreds of video files began playing, shifting about on the screen. The sounds alone were enough to make even the toughest soldier flinch, and the sites were even worse. For any one person – a child, no less – to endure this sort of pain was unimaginable, and made me sick to my stomach.

"Canaan, what did they do to you?" I choked.

"That weapon possesses very unique genes." I spun, spotting a tall, sinewy man standing in the doorway. He grinned, his glasses reflecting the light coming in from behind him and making him appear more like a monster than human. "The incident that orphaned a child also provided the base for countless applications. Just by stimulating certain parts of the brain we could turn an ordinary girl into the perfect soldier."

"You did this to her…"

"Of course. And now you see why we can't let a weapon like that just roam about on its own." he replied, sounding almost amused that he had to explain any of this to me. "We tried giving it another chance. The last two years were entirely devoted to finalizing its loyalty, but unfortunately no matter how many stimulants or psychic codes we burdened that precious brain with the weapon still couldn't relinquish its feelings for that terrorist woman. We'll have to try again."

"You think you can bend that child to your will?" I asked.

His grin turned feral as his shoulders hunched over. "I don't need it alive." he corrected me. "It will push back my plans by a few years, but with a few DNA samples and the brain matter I can create entirely new soldiers. This time I'll make sure to leave out emotions, though. We can't have such weaknesses in the perfect soldier, anyway."

So that was what this was all about.

"So what did you do to make her fight like that?" I asked.

The man walked forward, selecting one of the more recent video files. "We were working on improving close-range techniques when we discovered it. I could study that weapon for a hundred years and still I would find things to surprise me, but this… A simple lab error lead to the stimulants being used in an excessive amount in the wrong area of the brain, but soon we discovered that it had rechanneled the body's electrical wiring, so to speak. The brain used the same gene coding for the synesthesia in order to focus and direct huge amounts of electrical energy throughout the body."

"We still don't understand how the body is capable of handling so much raw energy, but the capabilities of this perfect soldier only grew. While mechanized weapons, such as guns, no longer work due to a lack of friction, knives and other short-range weapons could still be used. I can fix the minor bugs later."

"How do you pan to get her back here?" I inquired, my previous horror subsiding.

"Other weapons have been procured."

I laughed.

"I'm afraid I don't understand what is so funny." The man remarked, his grin drooping a bit in irritation.

"Tell me, out of all the years you have obviously studied her, who is it that always manages to keep up with Canaan?"

"If you are referring to Alphard then- "

"Indeed. Alphard Al Sheya has and will continue to be the only threat to that girl. She is the perfect villain for your perfect soldier to fight." I stated.

"I don't see how this information hinders my plans. It will just further prove my point when my soldier wins."

"But your soldier does not fight and neither does Alphard," I countered. "So what happens when those human weapons turn against you?"

The man did not answer, but the look on his face was all I needed. He knew about the rumors just as well as I did, and he knew what that meant. If it were true, and Alphard and Canaan were now working together, there would be no stopping them. Whole armies couldn't defeat them.

* * *

"Bo I need an escape route. It seems we've run into a bit of trouble."

"Is it the CIA? Or is it those weird guys who tried to stop us last time?"

The car sped around a corner just as a hail of bullets took out my rear view mirror. I swore, veering off into a tunnel. "Gee I don't know. Give me a minute. I'll just turn round and ask them!" I snapped.

"Calm down, Alphard-sama." Lin called. "Once you get out of the tunnel take the next right."

Typically I was an incredible driver, but speeding down the street at eighty miles an hour and swerving through traffic made it a bit difficult to make a right. I only narrowly avoided getting hit by a semi, and one of my pursuers was not as fortunate.

Quickly I shoved the phone at the passenger. "Tell me the directions when- ARE YOU READING A NOVEL?!"

Canaan looked up from her book. "What? It was just getting good." she pouted.

"Give me the damn directions and try and get those morons off my ass!" I snapped. She sighed, opening the skylight. Poking her head out she pulled a knife from where dozens of them were strapped to her thighs. With perfect aim she took out the shooter in the car behind us. His gun went off as he collapsed, killing the driver and sending the vehicle slamming into the side wall.

"Lin says to take the next exit." she said. When I swerved into the next lane she shot me a glare, not even looking as she threw another knife. "You and I are going to have a little chat about your road rage."

The look she gave me when I slammed on the breaks was worth it.

We were just about home free when something slammed into the back of the car. As I looked back I found that it was a vehicle, but this one was different from the others. The windows were tinted and as it sped forward I felt something was wrong.

Canaan swore, and the look on her face told me that my earlier premonition was correct. Quickly I cut a corner, nearly taking out a pedestrian in the process. To my amazement the vehicle behind us ran over three people, completely disregarding the safety of the citizens. The skylight opened and a woman climbed out, drawing a gun and a knife from her back.

Though I tried to stop her Canaan moved onto the roof as well. The cars were locked together and the two met in the center, slamming into one another. The woman moved quickly, nearly taking the mercenary's head off with the knife, and then firing. Canaan was stuck. She barely had time to deflect the blows; there was no way for her to draw her own weapon. The woman may have gotten better at close-rang combat since I last saw her, but there was something about her enemy that caught her off guard. As I looked back I saw that empty look coming into her red eyes again. She was being reckless again, compromising her own safety in order to try and get closer to her enemy.

The woman held the same blank expression, but as she continued to fight her brows furrowed. "How can this be a challenge?" she called over the roar of the air. "How can you be the source when you can't even draw a weapon?"

"Canaan!" I shouted, but she didn't hear me. Suddenly the woman moved, pushing past my mercenary and moving to stand right on top of me. She drew her gun and fired, the bullet going right through my arm. I swore, loudly and the car began to spin out.

"You're worthless, but my mission remains the same." the woman called. "Now come-"

Her words were cut off by a scream that sent chills down my spine. Blood spilled down on me, and as I looked up I saw Canaan standing right over me, right in front of the woman. Her hand came forward, dragging the woman down by her face and slamming her into the hood. The woman convulsed, sparks literally flying until her screams were choked off. Desperately she tried to escape, managing to drag herself back towards the trunk. Canaan stood calmly, ignoring how the windshield cracked beneath her feet. The girl's eyes were completely void of any type of emotion, and I knew she was going to kill the woman.

Reaching up I managed to grab Canaan by the shirt before she got too far away from me. "Get down you dumbass!" I shouted, yanking. She ducked just before losing her head to a sign in the bridge we passed under. The vehicle behind us was larger, and the top smashed into the cement, ripping it away from my rear bumper. We turned into traffic, quickly losing the crazy lady and her crew.

Canaan's eyes were back to normal when I looked up at her again. Roughly I dragged her back into the car. "You and I need to talk."

**AN: So... this took me a really long time. I'm really sorry. Time got away from me. But this is probably one of the best stories I've come up with in a long time so bear with me. **


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I thought I might be able to apologize a bit by getting this next chapter out. I'm really happy that the reviews have been so great so far, and I hope you keep reading. This chapter will perhaps explain a few things, but I have to keep some secrets until later.**

**R+R**

Canaan spent the next several hours curled up with her back against the wall, hiding her face from me. I didn't mind so much, but after seeing her flinch every time I felt any remote pain from my new stitches I couldn't take it anymore. Slowly I sat down on the floor right in front of her, letting out a deep sigh.

"It's not so bad." I assured her. "It hurt a lot worse when I shot the thing off. It'll heal in a couple of days."

No answer.

"You wanna tell me what happened back there?" I asked. Again no reply came, and I decided that I would be a bit more patient with some coffee in my hands. Before I could stand, however, Canaan caught my uninjured arm. The way her hand trembled startled me a bit, and again I sank down onto the floor, this time sitting a bit closer.

"They're soldiers made using my synesthesia." she explained, slowly.

"They?"

She nodded. "There were five of them. When they all signed up for the program they were excited to serve their country. They envied me. They didn't know…"

"Know what?" I asked.

Canaan took a deep breath, unwrapping the cloth she usually wore over her left arm. There the familiar pattern of the tattoo still permanently inked the skin, but there was something else, too. Thick bits of raised skin revealed long scars running up and down her forearm. Now that I actually looked there were others on her right arm as well, only much fainter.

"They put electrical wires directly on the ulnar nerve. Then they'd turn on the voltage and let it go until I stopped moving, and then they would just go higher and higher." she whispered. "There were some in my head too. They wanted to see what I was capable of. They came up with all sorts of different scenarios to test me with, and when I got it wrong they'd-"

"That's enough." I said. "You don't have to talk about it."

She shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "That didn't really matter. They used to do stuff like that to me all the time after Siam died. Then Natsume came." she continued. "The thing that was most painful was when they took me back. Every day they'd go through different scenarios, but they'd always end the same. No matter how much I didn't want to do it I always ended up killing you. Over and over again you'd be lying in a pool of blood. I thought it was one of those scenarios when we first met again, too. I thought it wasn't real, but it still hurt. I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to-"

"Shut up." I said, grabbing her. I must have lost my mind, but in that moment I couldn't stand hearing the pain in her voice. I just sat there, holding her. "Just shut up already." I whispered. "If it hurts then just say so."

"Alphard…"

"You don't have to suffer alone anymore." I stated. "I'm not going to leave you."

The tears flowed freely down Canaan's face as she clung to me. Slowly I stood, pulling her up with me. "But…" she persisted. I couldn't really blame her. All her life the only thing that was certain was that people died. I had contributed to that certainty as well, and now I was trying to make such ridiculous promises. There was no way she would believe me, and under normal circumstances I would have agreed. But as I stood there with my hands locked in her hair I was certain that no matter what I always wanted to be with her. Even if I turned to dust I wanted to stay by her side. It was selfish and crazy, but when I looked into those eyes I felt like I could do anything.

Just as I had done the first time I collected the woman before me into my arms. "I'm not going anywhere." I said, pressing my lips to hers. Her hands tangled in my hair as she let out a ragged breath, tears freely falling onto my face.

"I can't-…" she whispered.

"I'm not going anywhere." I said again, kissing her once more. We were in my room again, my body crouched over hers. By that time her uncertainties withered away bit by bit, and slowly the tension in her body began to fade. And then she was kissing me back, the sensation more unbearably addictive than any drug. I was completely intoxicated, my senses exclusively occupied with the woman beneath me.

"You're too kind." Canaan whispered, a teasing smile hinting at her lips.

I grinned, meeting the unspoken challenge. "You drive me insane."

* * *

I'd never seen her like that before. Sure I was one of maybe a handful of people from the original snakes, but back then Alphard-sama had only been a rumor. I never would have guessed that the version of her from back then would return with such vigor, and just looking her in the eye proved difficult.

It was just like they used to describe it to me. Even with a busted arm she moved like a serpent, taking out two or three guys at a time without even flinching. There was no hate in her gaze as she moved. As I watched it reminded me somewhat of that mercenary she was so attached to now. I sat there and just waited for her eyes to turn red like that other woman's had. It was something about the way they both fought. It just wasn't normal.

It wasn't human.

Canaan wasn't here now, though. It was the first mission the Boss had decided to do without telling her, and as we made our way to the top floor of the massive building I began to understand why. The people there weren't soldiers or killers. They were businessmen ad office lackeys. The very sight of a gun sent them cowering and begging and wettin' themselves. As we moved forward it wasn't a fight anymore. It was just a massacre.

Alphard-sama kicked in the door to a massive office, staring down the barrel of a gun. The man that held it was trembling, and I knew he wouldn't be able to pull the trigger, but the woman didn't even hesitate to blow off his hand. Then, calmly perching herself on his desk, she pressed her booted foot into his throat and a terrible smile graced her lips.

"Hello Mr. Smith." she greeted the man.

"Alphard Al Sheya…" he choked.

"Oh? I'm very honored that the head of this massive company knows my name." she said, lightly. "Well then let us skip introductions and get right down to business."

"What do you want?"

"I want to know the names of every person involved in the Canaan Project." she replied. The man looked startled. "You see, I'm the only one allowed to scar that body. I really don't appreciate other people stealing my toys."

At this the man seemed to relax. "Is that all? You could have just called."

"I like face-to-face meetings. They're more genuine."

The man sighed, pulling from his desk drawer a small file and handing it to Alphard-sama. "I suggest you give up on that toy. The researcher in charge of the Canaan Project fucked that girl up pretty bad."

"I've noticed."

"She's more trouble than she's worth, Alphard. You may have been lucky enough to damage the first one, but there are still four more soldiers out there to retrieve that girl, plus a score of bounty hunters. If you keep her around you'll be dead within the month."

"I'm a terrorist. If you want to scare me you'll have to come up with something better than death." With the file in her hands she rose to her feet, turning her back on the still armed man.

Then Boss went completely still. She had opened the file to glance at the names when something caught her eye. Seeing this reaction the man began to laugh. "Even after all this time you still don't know anything." he cackled. "The Canaan Project didn't start with that little brat, either. It started with a man. And when his turn was done he recruited more people for the project. He's still searching, still making the perfect soldier. But of course, if you were to ask him today, he'd say he only ever had two successes."

"He's dead." Alphard-sama snapped.

"You'd like to believe that, wouldn't you? You thought you escaped him that day on the train. I suppose you did, in a way. It was the first time he ever let his guard down. He's been looking for a way to get you back ever since. After all, you were his first success, his perfect little soldier."

It took only seconds for the man to be silenced. On the way back Alphard-sama did not utter a single word. As I watched her eyes grew cold and lifeless, and if it weren't for the fact that I could see her chest rising and falling I would have been certain she was dead. The very sight of it was unsettling.

It was time to change locations again, and this time no one argued when Lin prepared the townhouse in Florence. Half of the group was too terrified to be in the same building with our boss anyway. They had all seen the way she fought, and the way she looked now. Lin and I would be taking a pair of rooms in the east wing, but we were the only ones. The rest of them would be a mile out in a number of other houses we owned.

For the first time in as long as I had been a Snake I was actually glad to see Canaan. The shorty arrived only half an hour later, but by that time Boss's mood had already worsened. She stood in the dark of her own room, not moving an inch. Even the mercenary seemed startled by this behavior, though I was sure by the look in those red eyes that she knew more than I did.

Already Lin had tried to get her attention and he was still icing his face from her response. I tried to warn Canaan, but she didn't pay me any attention. Instead, in that silent manner she always carried herself in, she approached Alphard-sama. In the same manner she had greeted Lin the taller woman moved to clock the younger one, probably not even aware who it was. Unlike Lin, however, Canaan caught the punch. With that one little bit of defiance Alphard-sama met the fiery gaze of the woman before her and her hands dropped. Her shoulders drooped and exhaustion came over her face. She just stood there, never looking away.

Slowly Canaan wrapped her arms around the taller woman. "If it hurts then just say so." she whispered.

With those words the emptiness in Alphard-sama's gaze melted away. Hesitantly she wrapped her arms around the mercenary's waist, and then she was clinging tightly to her, like Canaan was the last thing holding her down onto the earth. Her eyes were clouded, uncertain. Lin had told me once that was how she always looked at Canaan, but I had never noticed until now.

I left the two alone.

The next morning I dared to steal a glance into the bedroom that Alphard-sama occupied. The curtains had been left open and the light was pouring in. Tangled in a mass of wool blankets the boss began to stir. Her brows knitted together a bit as something troubled her dreams. I knew that if she woke and saw me standing there I was as good as dead, but I couldn't tear my gaze away. I could only stand in the doorway and watch like an idiot as she blindly searched for something in the sea of fabric. Then her hand came across something that wasn't fabric at all. Quickly her arm wrapped around the slender waist of the other occupant of the bed, pulling the mercenary closer. Vaguely I heard a sigh as Alphard-sama buried her face into white hair, clinging like a child to her most precious person.

Silently I went to the windows, pulling the curtains shut. When the others started asking where the boss was I told them she was doing some planning on her own.

Even terrorists needed a day off every now and again.


End file.
